Gertrude C. Riley was born on this day in 1904, and passed away on October 22, 1999. Known to her nieces and nephews as “Aunt Gertie,” she had a distinguished 47 year career as an educator in the Pawtucket School Department. Aunt Gertie retired after serving the last 22 years as an elementary school principal.
Gertie flashing a bit of style in her day.
Janet Frances (Mulligan) Cushing, of the Massachusetts Mulligans, is celebrating her birthday on the coast in Northern California, where she and her husband Larry live. Hopefully, the weather will be sunny and mild, and the smoke from the brush fires will have cleared.
Back in the middle of June we posted an idyllic picture of the entrance to Janet’s garden (seen here for reference).
We have our fingers crossed that the smoke and ash didn’t damage the vegetation and all Janet’s hard work.
Here is photo of the lovely couple:
Happy Birthday, Janet! May the smoke dissipate and your flowers pollinate.
Lynne Daley, daughter of the late Joan Louise (Riley) Daley (1929-2019) and the late Frederick “Nick” Daley (1927-1991), has herself a birthday today.*
Here’s a photo of Lynne that I like,
and here is a photo from awhile back from her ALPHA TRI-HI-Y days:
Lynne is living in Middletown these days, with her two sons, Jack and Ben. Jack graduated form Middletown High School last spring and Ben has a year to go until he graduates.
Wishing Lynne a Happy Birthday and some fond memories from those TRI-HI-Y days.
*see blog post entry for October 21, 2019
Jonathan McNaught, son of Tammie (Daley) McNaught and Peter McNaught and grandson of the late Joan (Riley) Daley (1929-2019), is having another birthday today.
Some think birthdays are almost routine, but Jonathon probably isn’t one of those people. No siree, because the old little leaguer gets to spend it with his lovely wife of almost two years, Meara. For a nice picture of the two, see blog post of October 19, 2019.
Speaking of little leaguers – here’s a throw back:
Happy Birthday, Jonathan, have a nice IPA at the Tilted Barn in Exeter.
Let’s say that Timothy Patrick Fleury had a pretty big birthday a week ago, and 19Pondstreet missed it. We usually don’t reveal a person’s age and we won’t now. All I can stay is that Tim is still working past his “special” birthday, cuz ya gotta pay for those guy toys.
Earlier this week the blog posted a Fleury reference of a possible connection to a vineyard in France. Unfortunately, there is no such romantic connection on the Riley side – just some tried and true generations of Americans, who escaped from a dirt poor existence in Ireland in the middle of the 19th century.
Tim’s birthday comes just a few days past his mother’s, Barbara Hope (Riley) Fleury’s was born on October 4th (1927-2015).
Once again, apologies are in order, but they are mixed with congratulations to the new grandfather! Tim’s daughter Erin Garceau and her husband Mike have a new baby named Oliver Michael.
Here is Tim with two of his loves, new born Oliver and Harley-Davidson.
Karen Ann (Matteson) Fleury married Timothy Patrick Fleury, son of the late Barbara Hope Riley (1927-2015) and the late Richard B. Fleury, Sr. (1928-1992) back in 1986. Since then we think Karen has had a pretty good ride, and we aren’t just referencing that big black and shiny Harley-Davidson. She has two successful and independent kids, Sean and Erin, who happened to marry wonderful partners. Karen has enjoyed some nice travel adventures, has a beautiful home, and a connection to the Riley Family Tree!
Although it’s Karen birthday, there is a very good chance her attention is focused on her new title as a grandmother. Daughter Erin’s newborn son Oliver has Karen all smiles, as you can see in the following photos.
Happy Birthday to Karen and ask her about her grandson.
Just finished reading the book, The Seine, The River That Made Paris, by Elaine Sciolino.* In it, the author has a chapter which features a family named Fleury, their land, vineyard and their champagne production.
The Fleury vineyard is located in the Seine Valley near the village of Courteron, about a 3 hour drive southeast of Paris and right by the head waters of the Seine. The 37 acre vineyard has been in operation since 1894 with four generations of Fleury working the land.
What makes the Fleury champagne special is the method of farming utilized in the vineyard. According to author Sciolino, in 1989 vintner, Jean-Claude Fleury began to employ “biodynamic farming” which “centers on respect for the earth’s ecosystems” and improves photosynthesis.
Click here to connect to the Fleury Vineyard website. It maybe one of the few ways we can travel now-a-days.
Here is a photo of the Fleury storage facility.
By the way, if you are in any measure of a Francophile or have visited Paris, Elaine Sciolino’s book would be an enjoyable read.
*Sciolino, E. (2020). The Seine, The River That Made Paris (1st.ed) New York, NY: W.W. Norton, Inc. [ISBN 978-0-393-60935-6]
Beverly Welch Pini, daughter of the late Constance (Mulligan) Welsh (1924-2020) and the late Joseph (Joe) Welch (1921-2003), has herself a birthday today. No, don’t even ask me, let us just say she can legally have an adult beverage and can vote. Leave it at that.
By the way, Beverly’s grandmother was the late Kathleen Agnes Riley (1899-1988) and her late grandfather was William Francis Mulligan (1880-1970) of Massachusetts.
Beverly is married to Albert Ross Pini, Jr., and they have a son, A. Ross Pini, III. A well placed source has informed 19pondstreet that Beverly and her husband Ross have a new grandchild. Graham Benjamin recently entered the world – congratulations to the new mom and dad, A. Ross III and Meghan Brown.
Happy Birthday to Beverly.
Kathryn (Kathy) Moore was born on this date to the late Judith (Judy) A. Mulligan (1938-1962) and David Moore. Her late grandmother, a real sweetheart, was Margaret (Riley) Mulligan (1910-1989).
Kathy* and her husband, Robert McBride, were married in Jamestown, Rhode Island. Imagine, not being married in Pawtucket! 19pondstreet had a nice birthday shoutout last month for their son Jordan,** who is continuing his studies at Providence College.
The photo below really reflects Kathy’s ever pleasant personality, great smile and wonderful outlook on life.
Today is Luke Mahony’s birthday. We introduced Luke to 19Pondstreet readers exactly one year ago today (see October 6, 2019 blog post).
Luke, along with his proud parents, Elizabeth Daley Mahony and Thomas Mahony and his siblings, Liam and Maeve, is living out in smoky North-Central California. As the wildfires continue to rage, the smoke persists and sometimes the falling ash coats parked cars. Hopefully, the Golden State will soon return to normal.
Just as a reminder, Luke’s maternal grandmother was the late Joan (Riley) Daley (1919-2019) and great grandfather was the late Patrick J. Riley (1900-1985)
Here is a great picture of Luke under cleaner and fresher skies, pursuing his favorite activity.
19 Pond Street 